Heat dissipation devices, such as heat sinks are commonly used in the electronics industry to dissipate heat from electrical components. Conventional heat sinks are comprised of a metallic material that is formed to have extruded profiles, which enable the transfer of heat from the electrical components to the heat sink. In some cases, the heat sink is comprised of a solid metallic material that is mounted adjacent to the electrical components. Alternatively, the heat sink may be designed as an electronic module wherein the electrical components are assembled within an inner cavity of the heat sink. An example of this alternative embodiment includes sub-woofer amplifiers that are commonly used in the automotive industry. In such an implementation, the heat sink includes an extruded profile (internally and externally) that include a plurality of external fins for dissipating heat from electrical components that are enclosed within a cavity of the heat sink. Conventional electronics that are mounted within the cavity of the heat sink include surface mount devices (SMD) and leaded devices.
SMDs are electronic components which have terminal leads that are part of the component body, thus allowing direct mounting on the surface of a printed circuit board. Leaded devices are those devices which are mounted by their electrical leads through holes within the printed circuit board. Conventionally, the installation of SMDs and leaded devices within a heat sink has been accomplished through the use of springs and bolts which are configured to stabilize these components within the heat sink. Additionally, these springs and bolts are fastened or press-fit onto the internal extrusions and are formed to contact the electrical components. It is recognized that the requirement of springs and bolts increases manufacturing and assembly time, the cost of the electrical component/heat sink assembly, and the potential for product malfunction. Furthermore, the extruded internal profile of the conventional heat sinks increases the complexity of the heat sink manufacturing process.
The present invention was conceived in the view of these and other disadvantages of conventional heat sinks.